Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Spendthrift Necromancer (12)

Cedric was dumbfounded.

His master, Kim Minwoo.

He already knew to some extent that the man was an excellent swordsman.

He'd seen it on the battlefield.

Seen him wield a sword.

A master could recognize another master.

Minwoo was certainly an oddity—a Necromancer who used a sword better than most knights.‘But I didn't acknowledge him as my master because he was a great swordsman.’The courage to never retreat before an overwhelmingly powerful enemy.

The indomitable fighting spirit that refused to surrender.

And even the knightly spirit to risk his life protecting someone he'd never met before.

Cedric had merely been impressed by those aspects of his character.

That admiration was now beginning to fade.

After all, how could he have imagined the man was this unreasonable?

Even Death Lord had never treated him with such disrespect.

If anything, they had treated each other with mutual respect.

Cedric had seen countless knights throughout his existence. That was why he could accurately determine Kim Minwoo's current condition.‘He's gone beyond being drunk on himself. He's completely lost in delusion.’A little talent had made him blind to reality.

Young knights who had learned a bit of swordsmanship often behaved that way.

Cedric spun his spear.

His once nearly flawless spear technique felt strangely dull, as though it had deteriorated considerably. Becoming Level 1 had apparently placed restrictions on his skill with the spear as well.‘It doesn't matter.’He wasn't the only one at Level 1.

His master was Level 1 too.

What mattered was pure weapon-handling skill.

Throughout his life, Cedric had never lost to anyone with a spear.‘I have the weapon advantage too.’If a sword fought a spear, nine times out of ten the spear won.

The reason was simple.

It was much longer than a sword.

Both in weapon and skill, Cedric held an overwhelming advantage.

He was confident.

He truly was…….* * *Smack!

The righteous wooden sword slammed down on the wicked summon's skull.

Cedric clenched his teeth and thrust his spear. There was undeniable sharpness in his technique.

But Minwoo avoided it far too easily.‘Another one.’Smack!‘And another.’Smack!

The wooden sword continued battering Cedric's body.

If Cedric had been summoned in the same state Minwoo had seen on the battlefield, he never would've picked this fight.

How could he beat a monster riding a Bone Dragon?

But now things were different.

The current Cedric was only Level 1.

Even counting his stats, he was barely at the level of someone around Level 50.

And Minwoo?

By stats alone, he was nearly Level 70.

And the pilot wasn't some random amateur either.‘You think the world's number one is a joke?’Gate Hunter might have been an old game, but its difficulty had been unmatched.

And Minwoo had dominated it as the undisputed number one.

That was why, among three billion virtual reality users worldwide, Kim Minwoo had implicitly been accepted as the world's top-ranked player.

If Cedric's spear technique were still at the supreme level he'd displayed on the battlefield, that would be one thing.

But with it hacked down and restricted from all sides…….‘Easy.’He was nothing but prey for Kim Minwoo.[Damage beyond the limit has accumulated!][Cedric is unsummoned!][Death Lord(EX)

effect activates!][Cedric revives!]

“Hi.”

Cedric charged again through clenched teeth. Minwoo beat him several more times and he was unsummoned again.

That was fine.

Minwoo had more than enough mana to summon him again.[Activating Summon Cedric(SSS)

!]

“Fancy meeting you again.”―…….

Beat him.

Unsummoned.

Beat him.

Unsummoned.

Beat him.―……

Wait!

Cedric hurriedly shouted.

He had probably realized instinctively.

Something was very wrong.

“Who said he was the big brother?”

―…….

“Looks like you still need more love.”

Smaaack!

An endlessly repeating cycle.

Maybe Cedric was beginning to relive his old nightmare.

“Whew.”

Once his stamina and mana had dropped enough, Minwoo drank a potion.

His body sprang back to full energy.

“Guiding someone onto the right path really is exhausting.”

Leading someone properly was never easy.

That was precisely why succeeding felt so rewarding.[Activating Summon Cedric(SSS)

!]

Loyalty 1

0

0.

He would absolutely reach it.* * *Day 1.―……

How long do you intend to continue this?

“Until you accept my love.”Day 2.―……

I acknowledge that Master is strong. I was certainly careless. I will recognize you as my master.

“No. That's nowhere near enough. My beatings weren't enough either.”Day 3.―……

I lost.

“Who's the big brother?”

―……

Master, I believe you are the big brother.

“You hesitated a little.”

―Ah…….Day 4.―Master is the big brother. I mean it sincerely.

“Then can you swear loyalty?”

―……!

“So I was the only one serious again?”

Smaaack!Day 5.―Stop……! I feel like I'm going insane! How many times a day are you summoning me?! My skull is ringing! Stop hitting my head!

“No manners.”Day 6.―……

I'm sorry. Everything was my fault. Truly.

“Then shall we swear loyalty?”

―I……

will.

“Did you just hesitate?”

―No. I believe Master is worthy of my loyalty.[Dragon Knight Cedric swears loyalty to you!][A knight's oath, firm as stone!][Cedric's Loyalty is permanently fixed at 100!]

An oath of loyalty.

To put it simply, a slave contract.

Loyalty became permanently fixed at 100.

If the master ordered him to jump into a fire, he had to jump. He could no longer refuse commands.

Naturally, high-ranking undead were extremely reluctant to swear such an oath.

That was why the rod of love had been necessary.―Khgh…….

“Big brother will treat you well from now on.”

Minwoo stroked Cedric's head.

A grueling six-day journey.

He'd even cut into his sleeping time to summon Cedric over and over.

His effort had not been wasted.

Only now had Cedric finally become a true summon deserving of unlimited affection.

Minwoo felt a deep sense of satisfaction.

“Come to think of it, I've been wondering for a while. Who destroyed you guys?”

―……

I cannot say. A restriction has been placed upon me.

“A restriction?”

Cedric nodded.―The Lord likely left it. Perhaps because there is little meaning in Master knowing at your current level.

“Because they're too strong?”

―Something like that. Grow first, Master. The day I regain my original strength, you will naturally learn the answer.

“I was planning to start leveling soon anyway.”

His growth stats had already reached their limits.

He needed to raise his level to break through the growth cap.‘Level 51.’That was the range society generally classified as E-rank Awakened.‘First, I'll rush there.’He looked at Cedric.

“Cedric. From now on, I'm appointing you Commander of the Skeletons. Train them properly.”

―……

Understood.

He summoned Skeletons around Cedric. As one of Death Lord's former Legion Commanders, Cedric should be perfectly capable of handling basic training.

“There are plenty of weapons in the training ground. Use whatever you need.”

Clatter!

The Skeletons nodded vigorously. After setting the automatic training macro in motion, Minwoo returned to his room.‘It's time to start moving seriously.’He had received three hundred billion won in support so far.

Money was difficult to gather, but absurdly easy to spend like water.‘One more round of equipment purchases and I'll be broke.’He bought Skill Books.

He bought equipment and consumables.

Money vanished at a terrifying rate.

Even the gear he'd bought for his Skeletons last time had been swallowed up by that Battlefield of Eternity or whatever.‘I need money.’He could ask for more.

But he was starting to feel awkward about it.

It felt like the Sword Immortal's shelf life was slowly expiring.

The chairman would probably start feeling the burden if Minwoo asked for much more.‘I need to make something big happen.’Then he could take money freely without worrying about appearances.‘And I've already got some attention on me.’Rumors about his duel had slowly begun spreading online. He pulled out his smartphone and read several posts on GateNet.―So what rank was Kim Minwoo's achievement anyway? What if he's actually weak as shit?―He went toe-to-toe with the Sword Immortal, so even at minimum he's B or A lol You think the top 1% of Awakened are weak?―Nah. Rank depends on the awakening condition. He could've gotten lower than that.―Bullshit lolol If it was C-rank or lower, would that much light have exploded out of him?―Even A could be a problem. High achievement doesn't guarantee success. How many guys mysteriously disappear halfway through?―(Info) That happens with A-rank, but there has never been a single S-rank Achievement Awakened who faded into obscurity lol You think an S-rank Skill Book is a joke? lol―But S is pushing it, isn't it?―People are overhyping him way too hard right now. I don't think Kim Minwoo chose Swordsman. If he did, why the hell is he sweeping up all that equipment? lololol―Are we sure Kim Minwoo bought the equipment? Could've been someone else.―Who else spends over 70 billion on low-level gear? lol Dude's buying everything like he did with Skill Books lol―I heard he picked Necromancer. Apparently the first stuff to disappear from the auction house was Necromancer Skill Books. Buying huge amounts of equipment makes sense if he's a Necro too.―Holy shit lololol He goes toe-to-toe with the Sword Immortal and then picks that? Is he some kind of shit connoisseur? lololol―So is Kim Minwoo a bubble or not???―Who?

Knows? Guess we'll see once he enters a Gate lolIt was noisier than Minwoo expected. The intelligence team had probably been fanning the flames.

Well…….

If he was going to debut as an advertising model for Ilseong, higher name recognition was useful.‘Perfect timing.’He'd already been thinking about raising his market value. He recalled the F-rank Gates accessible at Level 1.

When did an Awakened's value rise the most?

Simple.

When people expected far more from their future than their present.

That was exactly why Awakened with S-rank achievements were called super rookies.

While everyone else began with F- or E-rank skills, they started with an S-rank skill.

Build up that expectation.

Then explode onto the scene by showing off an absurd clear speed inside a Gate.

Kim Minwoo intended to do exactly that.

And he would make the stage as big as possible.

He immediately made a call.

“Chief Lim? It's Kim Minwoo. I need you to gather some reporters. I'm going to clear a Gate this time. Alone, obviously. Bring everyone you know.”

Every reporter they could gather.

And once all eyes were focused on him, he would deliver the most shocking debut imaginable.‘Fastest clear in the world. And solo.’Party play was standard for Gates. Even super rookies often formed parties for their first run.

That was how dangerous Gates were.

But for Kim Minwoo.‘F-rank? That's basically a walk around the neighborhood.’The current Kim Minwoo was stronger than any version of Kim Minwoo he'd played over the past six years.

His level was only 1, but his stats were monstrous.

His skill composition worked perfectly together.

Death Lord.

Cedric, strengthened by its effects.

And the Skeleton soldiers.

He would also personally participate in combat.

Korea.

No.

The entire world would erupt.

Because Kim Minwoo was strong?

No.

Because of the future people would imagine for him.[Breaking News! Ilseong Group's Kim Minwoo Announces Awakening! The rumors were true! But his class isn't Swordsman—it's Necromancer?!][Experts estimate his Achievement Rank at B or higher!][The Crown Prince's Spectacular Return! Kim Minwoo Declares Solo Attempt on First Gate, ‘Tomb of Osiris’! Announces ambition to achieve fastest clear!][‘Tomb of Osiris’ is known as one of the most difficult F-rank Gates…….]

Korea began to stir.